Sonic Sundays | Fémina
Fémina
Image | Indiana Public Media
The trio called Fémina hails from the Patagonian town of San Martín de los Andes in Argentina. Sisters Sofia “Toti” and Clara “Wewi” Trucco and their childhood friend Clara Miglioli combine influences of rap and other genres like reggae, cumbia, and funk with Latin American folk instruments to create a singular sound, inspired by their lives, experiences, and their beautiful hometown.
Their first two albums, Deshice De Mi and Traspasa, blend poetic rap with acoustic and traditional folk instruments, but more recently, the band has been exploring electronic elements in their latest album, Perlas & Conchas (pearls and shells). In their live performances, though, the band sticks to acoustic instruments, primarily the cajón drum, guitar, and a very small Bolivian guitar called a charango.
The name Fémina refers to “female” in Latin, and women’s experiences, empowerment, and equality are prominent themes throughout their discography. Outside of this band, each of the members works on their own solo music, movement, and visual art projects.
“Buen Viaje” is from the album Traspasa, and is a great introduction to their sound and the emotions they evoke, even for non-Spanish-speakers. They sing, “I don’t want to disappear, before I get wet again / the feet on the moon.” “Mi Eje” is the song Clara Miglioli calls her anthem and was one of the first songs the band wrote, about trusting herself even when she felt lost. “Brillando” and “Arriba” are from the band’s most recent album, which takes a different sound than their first two. You can hear the electronic instrumentation in “Brillando,” beautifully paired with the mystical visuals in the music video. In the live version of “Arriba,” however, Fémina chooses to take an instrumental approach.
“Buen Viaje” (bon voyage)
”Mi Eje” (my axis)
“Brillando” (shining)
“Arriba” (up)
